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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."